Jamshedpur, Feb. 25: The National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jamshedpur, faculty started an indefinite strike from today demanding the implementation of career advancement scheme and the immediate appointment of a full-fledged director for the institute.

About 70 teachers, including assistant professors, began the agitation in front of administrative block of the institute this morning. The protesters, including departmental heads, claimed that classes were not affected as the mode of agitation was restricted to dharna only.

They warned to step up the agitation if their demands were not met soon.

One of protesting teachers alleged that the college administration was apathetic in implementing career advancement scheme and said that they were denied the report of the ninth meeting of the board of governors held at Mumbai. The meeting was supposed to discuss the issue of implementing the career advancement scheme.

“Akhileswar Mishra, currently acting as the institute director, had attended the board of governors meeting. We expected some positive result emerging in the meeting. So we wanted to know what happened there but the acting director refused to show us the report,” said a teacher.

The teachers said for taking advantage of the career advancement scheme, in 2003, around 70 teachers of the institute had put forward their applications seeking promotion as assistant professors and professors, but nothing has happened as yet.

“With no communication between administration and teaching faculty on the implementation of the career advancement scheme, we tried to get the status report through Right To Information Act. But we were not given any reply so we have resorted to protest,” said an assistant professor.

“As the teachers in 16 other NITs continued to receive the benefit of promotion since 2002-03, NIT Jamshedpur has not come under its purview,” said another assistant professor.